Substitutes
by Justice Tokidoki
Summary: Sora and Riku are both nervous about confronting their parents after being absent for so many years. However, when they both return home they find an unexpected surprise. It turns out, their parents didn't miss them because 'Sora' and 'Riku' never left.
1. Uploading Objective

_We're built in case there is a need._

_We come when your loved ones leave._

_We'll take care of you, become what you desire._

_Trust us, because we'll be here for a while._

_Don't be sad. No, please don't cry._

_We do this for you, there's no need to be shy._

_The wind blows and years run by,_

_we're covering for two young boys who never said goodbye._

_But don't fret, no, please don't cry._

_We'll stay here until you take back your old life._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Substitutes._


	2. Data (1) Sora's Reaction

_I write quickly in my notebook, scribbling nonsense. Darn it! I knew it, I knew the observations were due today? Why oh why did I procrastinate? Ugh!_

_Okay, okay just relax. Gotta get this done, gotta get this done! Humph, you'd think after 743 days I would have been used to this. Seriously . . ._

_Wha? What's that sound? Oh, it's just my pager. I press a small green button and a voice escapes from the small device along with a healthy amount of static._

_"Hey, you ready? Today's the big day."_

_"What?" I ask, blinking. "Wait, you don't mean-"_

_My partner chuckles from the small speaker. "Yep, it's homecoming."_

_They're finally home, **they're** finally home. "That's awesome!"_

_"I know. Let's be sure to give them a nice warm welcome . . . after one day of course."_

_"Oh, that's right. We have to do that customary polite survey thingy." I scratch my wrist and groan. It's another thing I have to turn in with the observations. Aw, dang it!_

_"No, we make the survey. They're the ones who are actually going to fill it out."_

_"Oh, right. Okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."_

_"Ditto."_

_My pager blinks out and I smile, going back to my notes with more enthusiasm. My pen flares and black ink splatters on the pages._

**_Sora, you're finally home. I can't wait to meet you. Good luck on your first day!_**

**_Sincerely, _**

**_Your Substitute_**

* * *

Sora gazed at the sunset, mouth opened slightly in awe. His lips were stretched out wide, half between a grin and a yawn. The yawn won as a deep, throaty roar escaped from his lips. He chuckled at the embarrassing sound. "Aw, I can barely keep my eyes open." He blinked then fidgeted. Then with a sigh befitting a parent, he turned over towards the towering teen next to him. "Hey, what's up? You've been staring at me for five minutes now."

Riku blinked, shaking his head lightly, silver hair sending a small wave of air into Sora's sun-kissed face. "Ah, so you noticed?" Riku grinned before turning away. "I don't know, I was just thinking."

"Look, Riku. You have three different thinking faces." Sora grunted before imitating an expression, staring broodingly at the ocean. "See? I'm doing your angst face now. Then, there's the pondering of life face. Then you do the dazed f-"

Riku lightly shoved him. "Shut up, my face looks nothing like that."

"It does!"

Riku stared at him and Sora stared back, challengingly. They continued the contest silently before Riku turned away, smiling lightly. "Sheesh, you always beat me at that."

"Pfft, you're just hiding your face because it's the truth! Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying, I just can't do staring contests with you. You always do that weird thing with your eyes . . ."

"What? You mean this?"

Riku closed his eyes, laughing and turning his head completely. "I'm not even going to look. You're so weird."

"Aw, you're no fun!" Sora shoved him in back only to be knocked off the tree with brutal force. Riku smirked at him from above and Sora scowled playfully. "Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Your body was angled perfectly with that spot . . . plus you were asking for it."

Sora pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're a cheater."

"Nah, you're a sore loser." Riku was still laughing, but there was a certain..heaviness to his eyes that Sora couldn't help but notice. It was at this point that Sora realized how hard his friend was trying. He wished it would work, wished the distractions would be enough. But in the end Sora felt the same as he did when they first started this façade.

Instead of telling his friend that they had failed, Sora simply smiled, though it was forced. Riku simply blinked at him, then he sighed and looked up at the sky. ". . . this isn't working, is it?"

"Nope. I'm sorry Riku." Sora looked down at the ground then, scrunching his eyebrows together in frustration. "I guess I better go home now."

"Yeah, that would be best."

The mention of leaving the island sent tremors up his spine. Sora shivered, and placed a hand on his queasy stomach. _Yeah, that definitely didn't help. _"I feel so nervous right now . . ."

"It's understandable," Riku said, his face predictably neutral by this point.

"No, you don't. You're Riku." Sora stared at him, trying to keep the jealousy out of his tone. "You've been ready all along. I've just been holding you back."

Riku smiled bitterly. "No, I feel the same way. I was doing this for myself along with you."

"At least you can hide it. My parents are going to kill me."

"From what I can remember your parents are pretty light-hearted. I'm sure you'll be fine," He chuckled again, though now Sora could detect the dark undertones in his voice. "I'm the one who's screwed. You think my father will be happy to see me?"

Sora mumbled at the sand beneath his feet while resting his hands behind his head. "You're father is cool."

"Try living with him for a week." Riku was standing now, shifting tense hands into wallowing pockets. "Come on, let's go."

Sora hesitated, then nodded warily. "Right."

They rode in silence, watching the water ripple by their small canoe as they entered their town's small port. It was a relatively mellow spot with very few people manning the docks. The air lingered with the smell of fish causing Sora to hold his nose. _I forgot how bad it smells over here._ He tried to keep himself from gagging while helping Riku put away the supplies. After that, they both walked with conviction on the main roads, exiting the port quickly before taking the sidewalks.

It was strange how everything started coming back to Sora. He could recall signs and scenery moments before they actually reached places, and he eagerly pointed them out while Riku nodded, only responding back with a grunt of acknowledgement or a request for Sora to hurry up.

Time was against him, and Sora had wasted enough of it. Yet, he couldn't help gushing over familiar landmarks and old hang outs. The bittersweet battering of nostalgia overcame him time and time again. It was a miracle there was enough light to see his house when they finally found the place.

Riku gave Sora an encouraging pat on the shoulders for walking away, leaving Sora to glare at the picket fence with a mild sense of dread. _Come on, you're older now. You can do this, they'll be happy to see you. Just explain what you can and be honest._ Sora repeated the mantra in his head before stepping over the fence (it seemed so much smaller now that he had grown) and walking up to the door.

His heart was beating at an unsteady pace, the crescendo nearly sending him to the ground from a wave of guilt. What was he supposed to say? How would they respond? Would they even accept him back?

He shook his head, vanishing the last one from his mind. _Of course they'll accept you, they love you. Just relax!_ Sora couldn't help but think of Roxas as the command slammed into his ears. "Thanks for cheering me on, bro." He felt a sense of warmth fill up his chest and then his courage surpassed his fear. He tapped the door with his knuckles, chuckling nervously as the wood splintered against his skin. _Right, have to watch my strength. Very sensitive door . . ._

The silence disturbed him and for a moment Sora considered calling for his parents. He dismissed the idea as very foolish just as the door creaked open slowly, as if the figure behind it was afraid that more force would send the poor wooden piece of junk off its hinges. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and light green eyes answered the door, face brightening automatically upon recognizing Sora's face. Her lips formed a perfect cupid's bow before transforming into a wide smile, complete with dimples and soft spots of pink dusting her cheeks.

The smile nearly brought tears to Sora's eyes. He almost felt like he was ten again, back when his mom had whispered to him about princesses and the power of the princes who solved problems, princes who had an optimistic outlook. And here she was, the creator of such fables standing in front of him in a light beige dress with a peach apron and her hair wrapped in one single braid. He could smell the beef roast off of her, and that's when it felt like home.

Sora couldn't hold it in any longer. With fresh tears and a shaky smile he embraced his mother. He sobbed and held on tightly, calming only when he smelled the food mixed in with the smell of her peach lotion (after all these years it was still her favorite). "M-Mom . . . Mom . . ." It was what he had tried to say, but the words were mixed in with sobs and muffled into her warm shoulders, so what really came out sounded like a moaning lion rolling in the grass.

His mother immediately returned the hug while laughing nervously. She had to stand on her tiptoes to fully be at the same level as her son, and even then Sora still towered over her by a few inches. "Whoa, oh dear. It's okay, it's okay. Rough day, at school? I see, I see . . ."

Just hearing her voice sent him into another round of tears. The rich, soothing voice. He was starting to get overwhelmed. The words scrambled in his head, obstructing his mind's view of the house, clashing with the old and new memories. It was in this way that Sora failed to fully comprehend what his mother had just said.

She continued to console him as they headed towards the couch in their main living room. Sora fell into it, producing a light creaky sound which brought on another avalanche of memories. Combined with the sobs he started getting the hiccups, causing his chest to jump with each five minute interval.

"Alright, alright, calm down, Sora. Come on, time to think positive, okay? Come on, let me see you smile."

Sora rubbed his eyes, chuckling lightly in the middle of his hiccup. "It's been so long . . . so long."

"Ah, long for what?"

The question surprised him, jarring him from his own reproduced family fantasies and brought him abruptly into the present. It was a strange question, queer. It didn't make any sense at all. Sora rubbed his eyes more vigorously, staring at his mother closely. "Ah . . . it's been so long since we've seen each other."

She laughed while removing her oven mitts. "Okay, now you really need to tell me what happened at school. It's been so long since you had a problem with it. No wait, don't tell me. It's the placement exams isn't it?"

Sora blinked. The world had officially turned upside down and sprayed him with exploding coconuts. "Mom . . . it's . . . been years."

"Hmmm? Years?"

Sora gulped, eyes widening. _Why is she acting so strange? Wait a minute, why did she even hug me back at the door? With no questions or nothing._ "Mom, I . . . I don't understand. Didn't you miss me?"

She stared at him with wide eyes, all humor vanishing from her face. "Well, uh, of course I miss you sometimes. I mean, I do get rather lonely in this house all by myself. However," A beeping sound from the kitchen interrupted her various speeches housekeeping. "Oh, just one moment dear."

Sora stared at her back as she left, mouth agape in shock. He now remembered what his mother had told him at the door. A rough day at school. What school? He hadn't been at school to begin with. _Could it be denial then?_ He rubbed a hand into his face, shaking. _No, no not that. She wouldn't try to pretend past something like_ _this. _

Sora frowned and stood up, looking around the house. He hadn't noticed the pictures lining the wall by the fireplace. It almost brought a smile to his face and it calmed him somewhat. Well, that is until he got a little closer. Sora took a single frame, running a thumb along the edges as he stared at the picture. It was a simple shot, just him making a goofy pose while simultaneously hugging his parents. However . . .

Sora checked the date, eyes widening. _This was taken eight months ago. How is this possible? _"I think I'm going to be sick," He muttered.

"Oh no, you're not getting a fever are you?" Sora yelped as his mother placed a hand on his forehead. "Oh, relax, Sora. You are really jumpy today."

Sora shuddered. "Mom, you really don't know?" His voice was desperate. "I've been missing for _two years_!"

Sora's mother sighed. "Sora, I'm honestly not in the mood for your antics. If this is for drama club then you should have warned me first. You know better," she said, her tone slightly accusatory.

"Mom, I'm not in drama club! I don't go to school, I was never even _here_ to do those things!"

"Oh, for goodness sakes Sora!" She rolled her eyes, walking back towards the kitchen. "Fine, stay in character if you want. But I would like my son to be back by the his father gets home from work, alright?"

Sora opened his mouth to protest but after his mother gave him the look he decided to drop it. Instead he ran through the house, searching for his own room. After walking from one door to the next in a somewhat panicked state, he realized that he had forgotten which room was his. His body trembled with tension and anxiety as he felt his heart speed up. It was getting harder to breathe and the walls were turning at an angle, twisting in and out of focus. It became so bad that Sora couldn't even stand without resisting the urge to vomit.

He sat against the wall, shaking badly and hid his head in his own chest. His own mother thought he was _acting_. The hysteria rising in the stomach soon gave over to nervous, high laughter. He laughed and cried, covering his eyes with his own hands. He brought his knees up in one motion and bent forward, hiding his chilling laughter in his thighs as the smells from the pot roast wafted from the kitchen.

* * *

**Well, here we are. Finally, I give you all the first chapter of my story. Thank you all for your patience and support.**

**To be honest, this chapter was actually giving me some problems. I had a hard time writing it for some reason. Any feedback and advice is much appreciated.**


	3. Data (2) Riku's Reaction

Riku took one look at Mount Dusk and sighed. Then he took in a deep breath and began the long trek up the behemoth of a hill.

He was afraid that he would forget exactly where his house was built. But as Sora had shown throughout their walk through the town, he began recognizing some of the terrain the higher he went. He just hoped his father hadn't decided to tear down the house and build it somewhere else. A crazy gesture to be sure, after all his father wasn't a man of change.

With two years thrown out the window however Riku was expecting some changes. After he got yelled at. No, that wasn't true. His father was a quiet man, he wouldn't yell.

Riku sighed. _Guess I can't blame Sora for being nervous, now I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach._

A low grumbling noise jumped from his abdomen. Riku placed a hand over his chest, frowning. _Or I'm just hungry. Did I even have anything today?_

Before he could ponder over his empty stomach, and whether he should just turn around to get a piece of fruit or something, a house rose up from the distance. It's front door was wooden and looked sturdy while the rest of the house was painted a faint, ominous blue. The windows were shut closed with the blinds drawn so Riku couldn't see inside.

The house was very simple on the surface, but what lay inside made Riku's heart tremble with both anticipation and dread. This was it, time to confront a man who barely addressed him by name.

With a somewhat resolved expression, Riku knocked on the door, feeling his heart beat with every second he had to wait outside on that bare porch. He started tapping his foot as the seconds turned to minutes. He vaguely considered turning away when the door opened slowly, framing a man who appeared to be in his thirties.

Now, the thing most people didn't consider about Riku's father was that he was a very reserved man. He only spoke when it was necessary, or even better, with hand gestures. Some suspected that he didn't like his own voice, and there must have been some truth to it because when he did speak it was always with a grunt, as if he were self-conscious of how awkward he sounded.

When most could get past his voice, they had his appearance to deal with. Pale, sunless skin, obscene white hair, and eyes that had mixtures of both red and brown for the iris. He tended to wear light colors, but he mostly stuck to white. Riku could honestly understand why most kids used to think his father was a ghost.

But the most intimidating thing about his father, in Riku's opinion, were his facial expressions. It never varied much, but when those red eyes narrowed in concentration, whether from simple observation or anger that came with scolding, Riku always felt like the glare was invading his personal space. Like it could tear into his chest and bring his soul out in the open for everyone to see. High expectations, always high expectations.

So when Riku finally witnessed his dad for the first time in two years all he could think of doing was bowing as low as he could, enough so that he wouldn't have to see his dad's face. This proved to be more difficult then he had previously thought, for he had gone through quite a growth spurt. His chin was now level with his father's forehead, but this didn't shake the intimidation away. In fact, Riku felt even more violated than when he was five and he broke his late mother's vase (an event he felt so uncomfortable with that he didn't even tell Sora).

His thoughts were moving like crazy. Dad's not saying anything. _What does that mean? Will he even accept me back?_

_Was I even welcome back when I was here?_ Riku frowned, trying to remember the conversation he had had with his father before leaving the islands. He knew it involved an argument, but he couldn't recall what it had been about, nor if it was poignant enough to matter now. The front door had been slammed, he knew that for sure. But did his fingers shut the door or was it the slender, pale hands of his father? For some reason, Riku knew the answer to that question made all the difference to the world, especially with how he would be received now.

Before Riku's mind could go on another tangent on the implications of those past decisions, his father brought him back to reality, tenderly holding him by the shoulders. It surprised Riku so much that he couldn't even speak. He couldn't remember the last time his father had even_ touched_ him. And now, he could feel those cold, strong hands on his own shoulders. "Dad?" Riku whispered, eyes widening as a he saw his father raise a hammer from a tool belt. Riku blinked when the hammer was placed in his own hands and he shivered as his father finally spoke.

"Ready to work?" It was such a simple question, almost mundane. But there was an undertone of something caring, almost akin to love in the way it was said.

Just hearing this man speak was overwhelming for most people, but for Riku it sent him to his knees. "Dad . . . " Riku swallowed, and looked down at the floor. _I'm sorry for leaving. I wish I could explain it in words, but I don't know how. Ugh, why can't I talk in front of you now? It's still so hard, just like when I was ten . . ._

Riku shivered as he felt his father's hands move to his face. Riku looked up warily only to see the small frown on his father's face. It was silent for a few seconds before Dad spoke again. "The roof, it needs to be fixed."

"The roof?" As the bubbles of anticipation from being in his Dad's presence subsided Riku finally realized that something was wrong. _Is he really block the topic off like this? I've been missing for years and he wants us to reunite on the roof? _Instead of voicing his thoughts, Riku simply blinked.

"Riku . . . " Riku's father stepped back, looking him up and down. "You're sick," he said bluntly.

"No, I . . . I just . . . " Riku shook his head before standing up straight and clearing his throat. "You didn't miss me?"

His dad frowned. "Miss you? You're right here." He patted Riku's shoulder once before walking back in the house. "Come on, we have until sunrise. There's supposed to be a storm coming."

Riku didn't know whether to gawk at how the obvious dilemma of his return was being overlooked or the fact that with the way his dad described their construction project they would likely be working on it all day. After a few minutes of staring at the doorway, Riku sighed and gripped his hammer tightly before entering the house.

* * *

Hitting nail upon nail into rough tile proved to produce a calming effect. It allowed Riku to think, and after sweating on the roof for over an hour he had come to a shaky conclusion.

His father was probably suffering from amnesia due to the stress produced from Riku's departure. The theory was completely out of character and made no sense, but Riku was desperate to have something to pinpoint his father's strange behavior.

His father hadn't commented on the fact that he had been missing at all. Unnerving, endless silence in the throat (as in, no talking), and the soft pounding of hammer against nail. Yes, calming, but also creepy. When would they talk about this? Was his father in denial?

Riku made a hissing sound as his thumb throbbed from a hammer imprint. "Dammit . . . "

There was a soft clank of a hammer being set down. "A break would be good right about now," was Dad's nonchalant remark. Riku almost felt like telling him off but the retort died on his lips as his father took his hand, wrapping it with fresh gauze and a single bandage.

By the time Riku had even thought of saying thanks they were already in the house and his dad had left him alone in the living room, quietly shutting the door to his office.

Looks like the talk would still have to wait.

* * *

"What?"

Riku shrugged. "Nothing."

"You've been staring at me for the past ten minutes," His father responded with a light grunt. For him, that was a long sentence.

"I already said it was nothing."

". . . which means it's something." One could now hear the sound of a fork being placed forcefully on a plate. "Well?"

"We're really not going to talk about this? Come on, Dad." Riku scowled.

"What is it? Are you worried about the play at school?" He was leaning now, pale hands pressed over his mouth. Only his red-brown eyes peaked out, staring straight at Riku.

Damn that look. "Well, to be honest, I thought you would show a little more _excitement_ over seeing me. It has been two years after all, but I guess it was wrong of me to expect something like that from you." Riku stood up rapidly from the table, walking towards the front door. "I'll just go now."

Riku could feel his feet crumble underneath him the moment he took a single step towards the door, but it didn't matter. His father was still the same as ever, he hadn't changed one bit. A relief and a curse in disguise, maybe it had been a mistake coming in the first place. _I bet Sora isn't going through anything like this,_ Riku thought bitterly as his hand closed around the doorknob. _There's still a storm coming, I guess I'll take shelter on the islands. It's always in the eye of the storm._

The cold, biting air met him head first as Riku brought one foot forward, not even bothering to look back. But as his foot passed through the line separating the doorway from the porch, a firm grip held him back. Riku sighed. Then, as politely as he could manage, he turned around, frowning and looking his father straight in the eyes.

For the second time that day, Riku gasped, mouth wide open as his father, for the first time in his entire life, addressed his son by name. "The last time I saw you was two weeks ago, Riku." The surprises didn't stop with his name alone, Riku could actually detect real confusion and sadness in his father's voice.

Two weeks. The time echoed in his head like a relentless ping pong match.

Two weeks. Not two years, not even one year. Just two weeks.

Riku shut his eyes closed and pulled away from his father. Then, not knowing how or why, he found the strength to run away, traveling down the mountain trail at a fast speed as the sky thundered in response to the storm it would soon meet.

* * *

_Well, it looks like all the pieces are in place. **Sora**, or should I say his **substitute**, better hurry up with those observations._

_I don't want to be late meeting **myself** after all. Well, my original since I'm just a replacement. Ah, technicalities . . ._

_Well, Riku, I honestly didn't expect you to react this way. This is the thanks I receive for fixing up your relationship with your dad? You running off into the worst of the storm? At least **Sora** was smart enough to stay home._

_Ah, I guess this will be a rough change for everyone involved. Well, you will adapt, all humans do. And you are one extraordinary human, Riku._

_Darn, now I'm starting to sound sappy. Sora has been rubbing off on me._

**_Until next time, Riku. Please, try to stay safe. God forbid if I have to meet you before schedule, that just won't do._**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Your_ S_ubstitute._**

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, to be honest I didn't expect this chapter to take so long to post. But in my defense, I recently got through a whole bunch of AP tests that I was studying (and almost went insane) over. Also, my computer has been messed up for quite a while, so I can only update at my Dad's place. Pretty convoluted method now that I have to keep jumping from notebooks to computers, but I digress . . . **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it more than I thought I would. Let me know what you think of Riku's father in your reviews. **

**Later.**


	4. (Warning) Loss of Subject

A slow, melodious ringing sound bounced against the walls, causing Sora to flinch in his crouched position. His stomach growled mercilessly, sending him to his knees. He stared at the floor with a dazed expression and a frown.

It had been so long since he had eaten _real_ food, not rotten fruit or poor excuses of salad with a seaweed substitute. Now his body demanded protein, the sweet juicy aroma swirling in the air directly from the kitchen. He swallowed and stayed on the floor, closing his eyes. He wouldn't let himself eat, not after . . . not when his own mother . . .

"I'm home!" A hearty voice shouted followed by a door slam. "How's everybody?"

If Sora hadn't been sitting on the floor already he would've tripped and landed on the ground in a faceplant. The shout had been so unexpected, so loud, so shocking. He sucked in a breath and bit down hard on his bottom lip to keep himself from shouting. Who in the world would have such a loud voice?

"It's about time you got here." There was an undercurrent of sourness in his mother's tone that couldn't be dismissed. "Your son has been getting antsy."

"_My_ son? Heh, what did he do this time?" Sora could now hear the faint thump of something heavy being dropped on the floor. His father's suitcase perhaps?

"You know him, always acting. I tell you I'm going to be relieved once that play is over with. I've never seen him this stressed."

"Anna, he's been acting since he was five. I'm sure he'll be fine. Say, where is the little squirt anyhow?"

Sora raised an eyebrow from his hidden position in the hallway. _Little squirt? I'm probably taller than him now I bet. Pfft . . ._ He turned his head, frowning, only to squeal as he met his father's mischievous amber eyes. "Ah, found him!"

In a move that should've been illegal his father got him up in a rough hug before shifting Sora onto his shoulders. Sora couldn't even scream as his father pat him on the back, knocking the wind out of him. Until this point, Sora had never thoroughly understood what it meant to be 'heavy-handed.' In his father's tough embrace he finally knew.

In a strange circular motion, he dropped his bewildered son into a seat and pushed him towards the table with a laugh. "I never get tired of that!" He snickered.

Sora could vaguely see his mother rolling her eyes. "You remind me every time at the dinner table how awful your son's table manners will be when he's your age. Really, Paul, what are you? Fifteen?"

Said man puffed out his chest before sitting next to Sora and hitting him squarely between the shoulders, eliciting a few coughs. "No, I'm young at heart, as I always say." He then clapped once before deftly maneuvering his napkin over his lap. "Alright, let's bring on the beef!"

Sora resisted the urge to plug his own ears. This loud buffoon was his father? It came as a surprise to him that out of all the things he could have forgotten, it was his dad's overwhelming presence. He peaked at him from the corner of his eyes, slightly wary.

Paul's features were extremely similar to Sora. His hair was a bit tamer, but not by much, a little lighter too. He had on flared jeans and a plain white T-Shirt. Sora could clearly see his father's six pack underneath the shirt and he got a good view of his father's muscles as the man took off his black leather jacket, flinging it behind himself carelessly. It was embarrassing to admit, but his father sort of reminded Sora of all the older actors in those cheesy teenage movies who were obviously in their twenties, but young enough for the director's to be compelled to give them the part. Sora quickly turned away before he could get caught staring.

However, he hadn't been quick enough. "Hey, seriously, what's wrong with ya?" Sora gasped lightly as he felt his entire head turn by the roots just above his forehead. He blinked and swallowed once as Paul stared into his eyes, face a few inches away. "Ah, I think he's sick, Ann."

Sora immediately pulled his head back, fixing his hair as Anna poked a head out from the kitchen. "No, he's _in character_. Remember the time he dusted himself with cherry powder and pretended to be sick for a week?"

Sora shivered lightly as his father slammed a hand on the table, smirking. "Damn, woman! Will you ever let me get over that? Look, his temperature was up and everything? What did you expect me to do?"

"To be a man and take him to the doctor, not baby him."

"What he needed was some father and son bonding time. Ain't nothing wrong with that." His father gave a hearty laugh before ruffling Sora's locks.

Everything was starting to blurr together. The food mixed in with the table and he could barely control his shaking fingers as he lifted his fork. The plates melted in with his lap and fresh tears ran down his cheeks as his parents continued their friendly banter. With shaking fingers he tried to bring some food to his mouth, but he couldn't even lift it a few inches without dropping it as his father's laugh brought a chill to his spine.

Maybe, if his father had been a little less . . . excited, he would have been able to focus on the main issue at hand, like the fact that his father didn't react to him being gone either (though after sitting in the hallway for over an hour he had come to expect this). Now all he could do was hold back his shame and try to suppress the icy water cutting down his cheeks.

After a while a noticable silence filled the dinner table. Strange, awkward, Sora easily got the sense that most of his family dinners didn't end up like that. He kept his eyes on his plate, breathing softly. _This is the first time I've never eaten all my food in less than ten minutes,_ Sora realized as he stared at his plate while the uncharacteristic frown returned.

Finally, his mother broke the silence. "Sora . . . are you alright?" He could tell by her voice that she was genuinely worried. But her remarks earlier had hurt him more than he cared to admit. Instead of whining about his frustrations (which he had already clearly made out to her) he fought for something else to say, finding nothing but silence instead.

"Sora, answer her," his dad said, sounding serious for the first time that night.

Sora raised his tear-stained face and took in a deep breath.

_You're both acting like nothing has happened. It's like nothing has changed, but _everything_ has changed._

_I missed you both so much but now I don't even know how to show that._

_Please, I was never here until today! Why can't you under-_ "I'm sick," Sora muttered thickly, voice almost flat.

Anna looked like she had swallowed a lemon, eyes watering. "You're sick?" She said in disbelieving tone.

"See, what did I tell you?" Paul huffed once. "So, how long have you been feeling this way, son?"

Sora stared at his uneaten food, blinking once. "I don't know, a few days maybe? I really don't know . . . " _How did this happen, why am I the only one who sees the real problem here? Why aren't you guys talking about this?_

"Do you know what this is, Sora?"

He looked into his father's hardened amber eyes. "No, I just said I didn't."

He resisted the urge to flinch as his father grabbed his shoulder. But instead of a rough hold, his dad just pat him softly, speaking calmly, "This is just the rippling effect of stage fright. Everyone gets like this before a big performance, trust me. You're not the only one."

"Really?"

"No." His dad chuckled once. "Look, we understand how much this means to you. You've been talking about this play for months now. You worked hard to get the lead and you know your Mom and I will support you all the way. Got it?"

Sora sniffed once and nodded. "Yeah, I think I . . . yes, I do." He forced a smile.

Paul's face lit up. "Alright, how about this. Tomorrow is Thursday. After school meet me at the station. I have a surprise for you that I think will cheer you up."

Sora stood up from the table and pushed his chair in slowly. He needed to go, he couldn't bear to look at either of their faces without throwing something. "Yeah, sure."

"Wait, are you sure you're not hungry?" His mother's tone was almost exasperated. "I don't want you to go to bed hungry."

"No, Mom, it's fine. Really." Sora was just about to sprint when he heard someone knocking on the door. Sora paused in his steps, glancing behind towards the front door. _Maybe it's Riku._ His eyes widened._ Riku . . . Riku! I need to tell him about this! Maybe . . ._ He rushed to the door, opening it quickly.

He jumped back immediately, gasping. Red eyes pierced into him, shadowed by snow-white hair and surrounded by pale skin. The sky cracked outside as thunder echoed across just as rain came in in raging torrents before the ghost-like figure shut the door. Sora was shaking, staring at the sodden, wet man with wide, fear-filled eyes.

The red-eyed man tilted his head, giving Sora a quizzical look. "Something wrong?"

"You-you . . . I . . . " Sora inwardly cursed himself for not being able to talk just as his own father came in.

"Ah, Yukito! Didn't expect to see you out and about, by god and in this weather?" Sora felt like slapping his father when he heard his deep laughter fill the room. He didn't laugh that much, did he? Surely his friends never thought he was as bad as his own father, right?

Sora wrinkled his nose, glaring through the window at the pummeling rain. _Perhaps I should be more worried about the fact that I hadn't even noticed the storm until now. Was I really that distracted not to hear _that_?_ He shivered lightly as he heard lightning strike again. _Sheesh . . ._

Yukito shook his head, silver strands flinging droplets of liquid in symmetrical waves. "Paul, nice to see you . . . still standing I guess." He shrugged, as if he really had nothing else to say though from the way his hands were clenched Sora could tell that the reason for his visit must have been serious.

Paul seemed to realize this as well, considering the way his face morphed from cheerful to nonchalant in a second. "Trouble at the Sunset Terrace Dam again?"

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to know if . . . if you've seen my son." It was easy for everyone to see that Yukito had trouble saying those words.

"Ah, Riku? Strange, I haven't seen him. Anna?"

"No . . . I'm afraid not." Her face was now a stark pale against the warm backdrop of the living room. "Goodness, Yuki, please tell me he's not still out there! In this storm?"

Sora felt something in his stomach drop. He fell to the ground, staring out of the window with haunted eyes. _It just keeps getting worse and worse,_ was the only coherent thought ramming through his mind as he watched the rain relentlessly ram into the glass, striking with the sound of miniature flying bullets. "No . . . " he muttered.

Yukito looked even more stressed, fingers flexing. "He isn't here?" he asked, though it sounded like a statement. Without a word he turned around towards the front door, hand reaching for the knob.

"Wait a minute, Yuki, did you walk here? All by yourself?" Anna grabbed his arm, eyes brimming with tears. "We need to think this through, come up with a plan before you march off into God knows where."

Paul's had a determined look on his face and his voice was an octave lower when he spoke. "Look, I'll drive you around if you want. Just . . . let's think for a second."

Yukito stiffened before glaring at them both. "No. I won't see him from inside a car. I've been out in storms like this, I have until midnight before the worst of it. No one else needs to get involved." He paused, tilted his head, then stared back at them with a hardened expression. "He's _my_ son."

The silence that followed was almost scary. It was just the ashen looks of three parents, one worried teen, and the killing rain from outside their warm haven. Sora looked like he was trying to hold in a scream. Finally, he jumped up, eyes blazing with anger and panic. "I'm coming too."

His father sighed while his mother practically let out a shriek. "No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am! It's Riku!"

Anna was currently staring at her son as if he had five heads. "Neither of you should be going out! This is way too dangerous!"

Sora glared at his mother then quickly walked over to Riku's father and gripped his hand so tightly that he felt the man wince. "You can't stop me." He glanced at his dad briefly. "I won't let him go."

His mother looked about ready to blow a gasket. "Paul, do something! You're not seriously letting him go off into this storm, are you?"

"Anna . . . he'll only escape out the back if we say no. I'd rather have him with Yuki . . . even if his judgement is questionable at the moment." Paul nodded once towards the enigmatic man, face betraying no fear. "Bring them both back safely."

From Yukito's expression it was obvious to see that he wasn't fond of having an accomplice on his current task. But as he looked into Sora's sad, anguish-filled eyes he saw the same emotions as Riku had shown earlier. Here were the signs showing up early. Perhaps Sora would be able to reveal why Riku left in the first place.

With this thought in mind, he allowed Sora to walk beside him, taking Paul's jacket and placing it over the teen before entering a world of pelting rain drops and shutting Sora's front door once Sora stepped outside to stand beside him.

* * *

_No . . . no . . . everything is going to be ruined now! Ugh, their meeting is happening too quickly!_

_I flip open my pager and dial a set of numbers I now know by heart. Come on, pick up already!_

_"Hello?"_

_"It's happening, they're about to meet up again. It's too **soon**."_

_"I know, we're in a whole boatload of crap now. Damn . . . I'll take care of this."_

_"How? You know . . . you know we can't last long in weather like this. You know . . . our **weakness** . . . "_

_"Yeah, thanks for the reminder. But **they** won't last either, and **they're** the priority. Now, listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once. We're probably going to have to test our skills out on the field. Think you can handle this?"_

_I smile slowly. "I've been training for this all my life. My . . .** existence**. Yes, I'm ready."_

_"Alright, I wish you the best of luck . . . Sora."_

_"No problem, Riku. Same to you too." _

_I quickly write his instructions down. It's definitely going to be the toughest challenge I've ever faced, but if I can't complete this simple task . . . then these few years of training would have been for **nothing**._

**_Don't worry, Sora. We'll take care of this. Because until you've fully accepted how things are now, I'm not going to leave you unprepared._**

**_Please, wait a little longer._**

**_Sincerely, Your Substitute._**

* * *

**There you are. I hope everyone enjoyed reading. Until next time!**

**Justice**


	5. (Warning) Exposure Erase Evidence

Riku blinked once at the rain, feeling it tussle with his hair and stick to his skin. There was a soft sheet of bitter cold etched in his clothing, stuck to his chest and legs. The feelings it brought came and went with the rain, pelting him repeatedly as the wind turned the storm into a tumultuous haven for misery. He took it all with just a frown, squatting in the sand.

The islands were usually always located at the heart of storms like this. It didn't save him from the rain though. He had been soaked by the time he made it there by boat and now he was just a sodden boy left to stare at an endless ocean. The distance reminded him of his father for some reason and that made him grunt before kicking at the sand beneath himself.

Stupid. It was a stupid thing to do. However, his mind was far too cynical and prideful to admit what a horrendous decision it had been to leave the town. He felt the ebbs of a storm the moment he took a step on the pier. But in the end he still went to the island. He couldn't go to Sora's place, he didn't feel like intruding. No, he just wanted to be alone.

So he sat stiffly, licked the rain off his lips, and stared out towards sea with dull eyes. It was both a surprise and an annoyance when he watched his best friend approach by canoe. _I should've expected this. I guess Dad is looking for me._ Riku raised an eyebrow at the thought. He . . . he didn't know what to say to that.

Sora stopped in front of him, panting softly. He was dressed completely in white, complete with huge white shoes and a translucent wristband. Riku could also make out a small blue device attached to Sora's baggy pants. It looked like a cell phone but his vision was pretty blurry from all the rain. Riku smirked at his friend's attire before chuckling darkly. "Come to rescue me?"

"Hah . . . no . . . kidding. Duh." Sora straightened himself up, attempting to roll his eyes but instead he just kept blinking and wiped at his face. "Blegh, so wet . . . "

"Yeah, we live on an island." Riku laughed again though inwardly he was thinking of Sora's response. Since when did Sora mind being wet?

"Yeah, well . . . " Sora sighed then sat next to him, shivering. "Riku . . . it went badly, huh?"

All Riku did was nod then he shifted his position so that he could stare straight into Sora's face. "What about you?"

"It was . . . I . . . " Sora lowered his head into his knees. "Riku . . . they don't know. They don't know that I've been gone all this time!"

Riku put a hand around him, pressing him against himself by the shoulder. "I figured. It doesn't make any sense, huh? Their minds have been twisted somehow . . . there's an outside force involved in all this. It's up to you and me to figure it out."

"Can we . . . figure it out somewhere that's safe?" Sora looked up into his face with wide blue eyes. "It will only get worse."

Riku shrugged. "That won't be for a few hours. I can always make a light shield to keep us warm. Besides . . . " He smiled softly. "Storms always help me think."

"I always thought that was weird."

Riku shoved him away, playfully messing up his hair. "Quit being a baby. I'll meet you in the treehouse soon if you want. I just want a few more minutes, alright?"

"Nah, I'll wait with you." Sora scooted closer towards him, laying his head on Riku's shoulder.

Riku sighed, his eyes softening briefly before he looked back at the ocean. "Alright, just . . . don't talk."

"Right."

As Sora closed his eyes, breathing evenly through his nose in sync with the rain, Riku glanced at him from the corners of his eyes. His mouth turned into a firm line just as his friend's body relaxed against him and soft snores filled the sky followed by thunder and lightning.

* * *

When the rain came pouring down hard enough to rival bullets Sora woke up, gasping and thrashing out. Except he couldn't properly kick out his legs or move his arms because they were tied roughly to a wooden stool. "Wha?! Ngh!" He looked around wildly and then his eyes froze on Riku who was standing in the corner of the room.

Riku gave him a small smile while flipping a blue device in the air. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Uh . . . " Sora gave him a sheepish grin but his eyes were locked on the device Riku was juggling in the air. "Um, well it wasn't a pleasant dream, but . . . uh . . . " He swallowed, eyes still following the device. "Actually, it really wasn't that bad. I don't even remember it actually."

"Good. Still sleepy?" Riku was frowning at the device now, tapping it with his index finger.

Sora gulped. "Ah, no. Can I have that back?"

"Well, sure. Come and get it."

"That's not funny, Riku." Sora grunted, pulling at his restraints. "This really isn't funny. Let me out."

Riku sighed. "Why?"

"Well, it's uncomfortable."

"So?" Riku walked up closer to him, pulling a bat out from behind a makeshift desk. "Where exactly does it feel uncomfortable?"

Sora was fully staring at the bat now. He looked like he wanted to say something, but his mouth was frozen open in an 'O' and his body was shaking. "Riku, what are you doing with that?"

Riku didn't answer him, instead he struck him once hard in the back. Sora yelped, flinching and pulling at the ropes enough to irritate his skin. "Riku?! What was that for?!"

Riku pulled the bat back, eyes narrowed into slits. "I should hit you in the head. Maybe it would reach your brain, which is something you need since you sound so stupid right now."

"Stupid?! What on earth are you talking about?! Let me go!" Sora was starting to rip through the rope but before he could get his hands free Riku shoved him to the ground, holding his hands in place tightly.

Riku was scowling now. "You might as well stop now. I noticed the moment you fell asleep that you were an imposter. Where's the real Sora?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Sora growled at him. "Why would you say something like that?! My parents are already acting crazy, I don't need this from you too!"

Riku chuckled bitterly. "Now that actually sounds like something he would say." He tilted his head back, smiling. "Well, for one, Sora doesn't snore when he sleeps. When I pulled your left eyelid back while you were sleeping your eye color was green, not blue. And . . . " Riku moved Sora onto his back, untying his feet and hands, shifting the rope to only bind his wrists together and his ankles together, before rolling up one of his pant legs. "You're shedding."

Sora sat up (as much as he could) and stared warily at his legs. Patches of skin were stripped away, leaving his true form exposed. A fleshy, blue material. Sora smiled slowly and his eyes lit up. The whites glowed a flourescent blue color and his iris' were green. "So . . . you see _me_ now . . . "

Riku looked a little unnerved but he raised up his weapon. "Where is Sora?"

"It's too early for this, Riku. You can't know yet. It isn't time." Sora, or whoever he was, tilted his head. "Do you understand?"

A swift hissing sound escaped as Riku slammed the bat against Sora's face. A patch of skin came off Sora's cheek leaving the eery blue material that made Riku want to gag. "I can do this all day," Riku muttered, voice slightly shaky but full of confidence. "You will tell me where he is."

Sora's lips pulled up into a crooked grin. "That didn't hurt."

"Oh really?" Riku roughly struck the bat against the imposter's stomach. If it had been a sword it would have pierced through flesh and entered Sora's heart.

Sora coughed after getting hit, but there was a weird undertone to it. It was as if there was static escaping from his mouth, melding with the coughs to produce a robotic sound. When he was done the smile came back. "I'm sorry, Riku . . . this must be frustrating for you . . . " Sora glanced at him sympathetically. "But . . . the time is not right . . . "

Riku dropped the bat with a look of disgust. "Are you supposed to be a robot or something?"

For a few seconds there was nothing but silence. Then, with a screeching sound that sent Riku into a kneeling position, Sora broke out of his bonds. The force took off chunks of skin from his wrists and parts of his arms. Riku could only watch in horror as his friend's look-a-like started pealing off more skin, exposing exposing more blue flesh. If Riku concentrated he could see into Sora's blue arms, see the metallic wires laced within. Some of the wires had miniscule white lights imbedded from within, which made the blue material glow. Sora flashed him another smile, showing off teeth. "Something like that," he said nervously.

"I don't know what you are," Riku swiftly brought out his Keyblade while suppressing a tremor. "But I'm going to get answers from you one way or another."

"Right. Answers. Those will come with time, Riku." Sora gave him a small smile while lifting his glowing arms, hands white with light.

Riku grunted before charging towards the imposter, Keyblade poised to saw his friend's look-a-like in half. He almost made contact when he felt pressure pushing against his skull, sending him into a stumbling crawl.

From the corner of his eyes he saw his Keyblade fall to the floor while his forehead was massaged by cold, blue fingers.

"Rest, Riku. Everything will make sense. Just trust me, okay?"

Riku blinked, taking in Sora's smiling face before his vision dissipated into darkness.

* * *

_This particular memory . . . it is wrong._

_He ran away from home. Something he couldn't face._

_Father. Two years. Two weeks._

_Something he couldn't face. Would rather be in the storm. Terrible storm. Dangerous storm._

_Reckless to go out. Bad decision to leave town._

_But there was something he couldn't face._

_Blue sea, purple sky, blue eyes . . ._

_Sora? Wasn't Sora there?_

_No, that's not Sora, that's-_

_Of course it wasn't Sora. Sora wasn't even there._

_Right? Sora wasn't even there._

_Riku came by himself. He just wanted to be alone._

_Yes. Yes, he was alone. Perfectly alone._

_Sora wasn't there._

_Riku was alone._

_Alone._

_Alone._

_Alone. _

_Al-_

* * *

"Uhn . . . " Riku moaned.

"Ah, hey there."

Riku turned his head towards the noise, blinking as a face eerily similar to his own blinked back. Riku narrowed his own eyes, staring at his own image. "A mirror . . . ?"

His copy chuckled. "Sorry. But no. I'm a living breathing person . . . sort of."

"What? Where am I?" Riku tried to stand but he stopped when he realized he wasn't even on the ground in the first place. But it didn't matter, he couldn't move a single muscle. "What's happened to me?"

His copy chuckled, voice oscillating back and forth as he gently set Riku down on a rock. "Back where it's safe. That's all you need to know."

"Where it's safe?" Riku blinked. "Back in town?"

"Yeah. Dad is on his way. Be a good boy and stay still, got it?" Riku shivered as he watched the duplicate smirk. "Not that you can move anyway."

"I don't understand. Who are you?" Riku frowned, trying to push himself into a sitting position but all he could do was lay there, limp against the cool stone as his clone walked away.

"It doesn't matter now. Just relax, Riku. You're not going to remember this in a few hours anyway."

The air shifted with the ominous sentence before the sound of footsteps disappeared, leaving Riku staring at empty space while the last of the rain embraced his body in a warm hug of contempt. He couldn't stop the tremors from reaching his spine, sending his whole being into multiple rounds of shaking fits just as he felt his father's arms envelop his shoulders.

* * *

**_{Your Pager has five messages}_**

**_Sent_**

_7 pm: I'm searching for Riku now. Found him at the islands. Just like old times, eh?_

_7:15 pm: About to approach him. He has that face again. Looks like he's thinking hard about something. Should I ask him about his dad? I know it's against the rules, but it would be weird if I didn't mention it, right?_

**_Response_**

_8:30 pm: Yeah, ask about his meeting. It would be weird if you didn't. Remember, you're Sora. Act like it. I really hope you remembered to put on the oil extract._

_Also, sorry about the late reply. Trying to ward off his dad. I have no idea why Sora is with him. Making things complicated, dammit . . . _

**_Sent_**

_8:45 pm: Oops. No wonder I started shedding. I always forget to do that. Sorry._

_And . . . um, he _noticed_._

**_Response_**

_8:47 pm: Erase the evidence. Now. Don't do anything complex, just make sure he doesn't remember seeing your true form. It is too early. Sheesh, that guy is going to get himself killed . . . _

**_Sent_**

_8:50 pm: Already did. Don't worry, I got this._

_That guy is YOU you know._

**_Response_**

_8:52 pm: Don't remind me._

* * *

**And here we have another chapter.**

**Sorry for the long wait. Really didn't mean for it to get this bad, but when school stuff starts crashing into your free time it becomes hard to bounce back (especially if the computer starts messing up every time you try to get on).**

**Nevertheless, I really disliked this chapter when I first started it a month ago. For some reason it just seemed really . . . wrong to me. However, after I let it sit for a few weeks I started to like it again.**

**Anyway, let me know what you all think in your reviews/comments. Until next time.**

**Justice T.**


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